Circular multifeed hosiery knitting machine and method of operating same



2 6 9, 6 7 5, 2 E N I H C m ME 1m T S HH G www OY A NWN. Om DO CHW Mm@.fw M D N M A L U C R I C l 5 9 .l 4. D

16 Sheets-Sheet l m rlfl Filed April 26, 1948 zvenor JOHN J. MCDONOUGHCIRCULAR MULTIFEED HCSIERY KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1948 16Sheets-Sheet 2 mlE/z/z.: 5

/l/ .z Mvc/ c bmw inventor JOHN J. Mc DONOUGH y his avrney Dec. 4, 1951J. J. MGDONOUGH 2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD 0F OPERATING SAMEFiled April 26, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 3 lIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllIlllll! llllll IIIHIIIIIIIIIIII Illllllllllllllllllf Inven'or JOHN J. Mc. DONOUGH y his' aorneya- MMMDec. 4, 1951 J. J. McDoNoUGH CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINEAND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 26. 1948Inf/en Zar' JOHN J. McDONOUGH Dec. 4, 1951 1. J. MCDONOUGH CIRCULARMULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME 16Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 26, 1948 NMNV :z El-:53E:-

INN.

Dec. 4, 1951 J. 1. McDoNoUGH 2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULTIEEEC HCSIERY KNITTINC MACHINE ANC METHOD 0E OPERATING SAMEFiled April 2e. 194e 16 Sheets-Sheet 6 Zzvnr JOHN J. Mc DONOUGH Dec. 4,1951 J. 1. MCDONOUGH 2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAMEFiled April 26, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 frm/enlar- JOHN J. MCDONOUGH Dec.4, 1951 J. J. MCDoNouGH 2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHD OF OPERATING SAMEFiled April ze, 194e 1e sheets-sheer e .Irzvenar JOHN J. MCDONOUGH yzz's a/ZZor'neys 'Alb-MMM Dec. 4, 1951 Filed April 26, 1948 J. J.MCDONOUGH CIRCULAR MULTIFEIED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 9AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Invegnor- JOHN J. MCDONOUGH y his aar n eyeDe@ 4, 1951 J. .1. McDoNouGH 2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULTIEEED HosIEEY KNITTINC MACHINE AND METHOD 0E OPERATING sAME16 Sheets-Sheet l0 Filed April 26. 1948 Jnvenor JOHN J. Mc DONOUGH NNTPhuw

Dec. 4, 1951 J. J. MoDoNouGH 2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD oF OPERATING SAMEFiled April 26, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 1l u I I l l l l l Invenor JOHN J.MC DONOUGH y hzls' a'of'neys MMM Dec. 4, 1951 J. J. McDoNousH 2,576,952

CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAMEFiled April 26, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 12IIIIIIIIIIIllllllllIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIII Inv/enfer JOHN J.Mc DONOUGH ay his atar'neys J. J. MDoNouGH 2,576,962 CIECCLAP` MULTIEEEUHosIERY KMITTINC MACHINE AND METHOD CF OPERATING SAME Dec. 4, 1951 16Shee t s-Shee t l5 F i led Ap ri 1 26 1948 www.

` )@525- JOHN J. McDONOUGH y his aZZar-neys Dec. 4, 1951 J 1 MCDONOUGH2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULT'IFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATINGSAME 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed April 26, 1948 Jaz/anim" JOHN J. McDONOUGH y his attorneys MMM DCC 4, 1951 J. J. McDoNouGH 2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD 0F' OPERATINGSAME Filed April 26, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 5. .25. N6 N5 E C` N' N N*T we.

YR g

f f j e YL TcZE. N N5 N2 N NS N4 YR. A

JOHN J. MCDONOUGH MMM Dec. 4, 1951 J. 1. MDoNouGH 2,576,962

CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAMEFiled April 26, 1948 16 Sheets-Sheet 16 JOHN J. Mc DONOUGH Patented Dec.4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR MULTIFEED HOSIERY KNIT- ANDMETHOD OF OPERATING SAME Application April 26, 1948. Serial No. 23,284

(Cl. (i6-41) TING MACHINE s claims. l

This invention relates to circular multi-feed hosiery knitting machinesand method of operating same, and more particularly to such machineswhen adapted to knit at a plurality of feeds on both rotary andreciprocatory movements of the needle or the cam cylinder. On modernline-gauge, high-speed, circular knitting machines for making ladieshosiery, only the sheerest yarns are used. The resulting exactingconditions tend to slow down production and to decrease the speed of themachine. These iactors cause an increase in cost, while the needs of thetimes are increased production and lower costs.

According to my invention, the needs of the times are met by a basicreselection and rearrangement of the fundamental parts of the circularknitting machine, so that for the rst time, an entire stocking can beknit on a multifeed basis, starting from the bare needles, making anautomatic inturned welt and making the heel and toe with gussets. WhereI speak of gusset heels and toes, I refer to heels and toes in whichsome segments are united by a singlesided suture. One of thedifficulties in multifeed knitting throughout is the necessity forchanging yarns. In knitting fine-gauge hosiery it is essential to changeyarns. For example, it is desirable to use relatively heavy yarns in thewelt, heel and toe, and to use relatively light yarns in the leg andinstep. The difficulty is much increased when it is desired to makereciprocatory knitting by multi-feed. It should be understood that myinvention is useful not only when making circular knit hosiery on theordinary machine with a single cylinder or in multiple or invertedcylinder machines, but also when making a stocking of split foot fabric.While the invention will be described in an embodiment where the needlecylinder revolves, it should be understood that many of its features areequally applicable to circular machines with revolving cam cylinders.

It is characteristic of the multi-feed circular knitting machines madein accordance with my invention that they contain a movable raise camadjacent to one of the center stitch cams adapted to raise needles goingunder that center stitch cam in order that they may knit at a sidestitch cam and that the raise cam is withdrawn during the making of thewelt of the stocking in order that some or all of the needles maytemporarily take a non-knitting path at at least one center stitch cam.It will be noted that this makes it possible for the cams to remainstationary and unchanged during the make-up of the stocking.

Machines made in accordance with my invention may have a noveljuxtaposition and shaping of needle and sinker cams and throat plateswhich, in cooperation with the movable raise cam, make it possible toknit multi-feed in 4rotary and reciprocatory knitting in integralsuccession throughout. In the embodiment shown and described, themachines are adapted to make an entire stocking multi-feed starting upfrom the bare needles, making an automatic inturned welt and gusset heeland toe with yarn changes.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a developed view of certain parts of a Scott 8: Williamsmachine adapted to make two-feed ladies hosiery according to myinvention, including the throat plates and the needle and pattern jackbutt paths. The cams shown in dotted lines are movable;

Figure 2 is a developed view of the needle cam ring and throat plates ofFig. l, showing the adjustment of the parts when the machine is startingup from the bare needles during the half revolution before the yarnshave started to knit, the arrow indicating the direction of movement ofthe needles;

Figure 3 is another developed view of the same cam ring, showing therelations of the parts during the first three and one-half revolutionsafter yarn begins to be fed (i. e., the make-up), the arrow indicatingthe direction of movement of the needles;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are similar views showing the relation of the partsafter the make-up; during the welt and leg; and during transfer,respectively;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the transfer jack dial, dial make-up andtransfer cams adapted to cooperate with the cams of Figs. l to 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective phantom view of the fabric resulting fromFigs. 2 to 6 during welt transfer;

Figure 9 is an inverted plan view of the sinker cap carrying the sinkerretracting cams used in connection with the needle cams shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 10 is a view in vertical sections of the inverted sinker cap ofFig. 8, taken on the line Ill-Ill of that figure;

Figures 11 and l2 are views in side elevation of a sinker, needle andfabric; Fig. l1 showing them when the needle is riding over the hump onthe top center cam in Fig. 1 with the sinker retracted; and Fig. 12showing them after the needle has been lowered again by the dropperlevelling cam;

Figure 13 is a plan View of the transfer jack dial of my machine showingsome jack butts and the special slackening cam for the second throatplate in action during make-up, the singleheaded arrow showing thedirection of movement of the transfer jacks and also the direction ofmovement of the floating ring which moves the special slackening caminto action;

Figure 14 is a view in perspective of the sinker cap and dial showingthe parts for moving the special slackening cam of Fig. 13. The partsare in the same position as in Fig. 13;

Figure l is a perspective view of the bedplate of my novel machine,showing the connections from the pattern chain to a special sinkerslackening cam and to the switch cams for the needles;

Figure 16 is a partial view of the two controls from the main patterndrum of my machine for the connections of Fig.

Figure 17 is a view in elevation of tripping means for the loopslackening means, this being controlled from the crank shaft of themachine;

Figure 18 is a developed view of the needle butts, knitting cams andpart of the sinker cam cap of the needle of Fig. 1, the parts beingshown on the last rotary or forward movement of the needle cylinderbefore beginning reciprocatory knitting to make the toe, as indicated bythe arrow, the first of the group of inactive needles raised by theswitch cam being shown rising over the hump on the center stitch cam andraising the fabric above the nebs of the adjacent sinkers;

Figure 19 is a partial view similar to Fig. 18, showing only part of theknitting cams and needles, the needles moving on a forward stroke afterreciprocatory knitting has commenced, the two leading active needlesbeing shown in the act of rising out of action on a narrowing or up-pickbefore knitting;

Figure 20 is a view similar to Fig. 19, taken while the needles aremoving in the reverse direction, as indicated by the arrow;

Figure 21 is a view similar to Fig. 18 taken while the needles aremoving in the reverse direction. as indicated by the arrow. showing thefirst needles of the inactive group passing above the hump.

Figure 22 is a developed view of the cam ring, throat plates and needlebutts of the same machine. showing the path of the needles on the firststroke in reciprocatory knitting where the dropper pick is in action,the arrow showing the direction of movement of the needles;

Figures 23 to 26 are diagrammatic views looking from the inside of theneedle cylinder of fabric being formed on the needles duringreciproeatory knitting on my two-feed machine where the end needles areraised in pairs producing tieacross yarns. The figures show the makingof four successive courses. Fig. 23 shows the fabric after a stroke ofthe needles in the counterclockwise or rotary direction. with needlesNl, N2 raised out of action by the up-picks on the next or reversestroke after knitting at both feeds (see arrow); Fig. 24 shows thecondition of the fabric and needles after knitting at the left-hand feedon the reverse stroke; Fig. 25 shows the conditions after knitting atboth feeds on this stroke with the tie-across yarns appearing oppositeneedles N1. N2; and Fig. 26 shows the situation after one feed has kniton the next forward or rotary stroke;

Figure 27 is a perspective view of the mechanism on the bedplate of themachine for changing the rate of picking needles out of action from twoneedles to one needle, or vice versa;

Figure 28 is a detail view in perspective of an up-pick post such asused in Fig. 27;

Figure 29 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 28 but of a modifiedmake-up in accordance with my invention in which the transfer jacks arenot projected until the fifth course. The dotted outline indicates awelt presser;

Figure 30 is a diagram showing in solid lines the angles of the yarnsfrom the two throat plates at the end of an oscillation. The dottedlines indicate the angles of the yarns while the active needles aredrawing yarn at both feeds and the dot-and-dash line the angles of theyarns when drawing from the first feed has stopped at that feed and isabout to stop at the second feed;

Figure 3l is a perspective view of a throat plate and a needle beingpicked up, showing the latch riding above the bevel of the throat plate;

Figure 32 is a perspective view of a throat plate from a different angleshowing the needle of Fig. 31 after it has passed beyond the throatplate and its latch is in contact with the usual latch opener;

Figure 33 is a skeleton side elevation of a throat plate showing adepending lip or latch guard while Fig. 34 is a diagram of a needlearrangement in connection with which the invention will be described.

For the last half century of the circular knitting machine art, the mostvaluable space on the machine has been the circle represented by theperiphery of the needle cylinder. It is only around this circle that theneedle movements can be affected and in that 360 must be placedeverything directly affecting the needles or sinkers. Some inventionsare primarily concerned 7 with the interconnecting of the connectionsfor the parts directly affecting these knitting elements, and suchinventions have an interesting cyclic history. However. the presentinvention concerns a quite radical rearrangement and manipulation of theelements right at the periphery. and in that sense it is a fundamentalinvention.

General construction The invention will be shown and described embodiedin the well-known Scott & Williams model K circular hosiery machine formaking ladies' hosiery. That machine has a revolving needle cylinderwith independent latch needles and independent sinkers withstitch-holding nebs, as well as transfer jacks. This machine is adaptedto start up from the bare needles making a selvedge and to make anautomatic inturncd welt and also to knit in both rotary andreciprocatory movements in the making of a stocking. characteristically,the machine knits only one course per revolution of the machine. which,of course, is a great limitation on the amount of fabric that can bemanufactured by the machine in a given time. Many efforts have been madeheretofore to increase the production by incorporating two or more feedsin the machine and using them during rotary knitting. Eilorts have alsobeen made recently to build a multi-feed machine for ladies hosiery inwhich a multiplicity of feeds are used during reciprocatory knitting,but in no instance of which I am aware has a circular machine beendesigned in which a ladys stocking could be knit multi-feed throughout.

I have been able to achieve this and yet so arrange and shape the partsthat the changing of yarns by pivoted fingers in throat plates can beobtained. I have shown only two such fingers in each throat plate in thedrawings but it will be obvious that more can be used if desired. I havebeen able to do this changing of yarns in spite of the multi-feedreciprocatory knitting in the heel and toe. The changing of yarns isessential in the extremely fine gauges of stockings produced on themodern circular hosiery knitting machine such as 75 gauge etc., andusing such very fine yarn as 10 denier nylon.

My machine is further able to start up from the bare needles and toproduce an automatic turned welt. Hereafter, where I refer to making upit should be understood that I include not only starting up from thebare needles but also the placing of bights of yarn on transfer jacks asthe first stage in the manufacture of automatic turned welts.

Many complications have arisen in designing a machine with thesecharacteristics adapted to run at the high speed of 200 revolutions aminute demanded of modern machines. To accomplish all this on anall-multi-feed basis gives rise to tremendous difficulties. Theconcatenation o movements arising from the long-established sequence ofknitting successive stitches in a wale on the same needle in successivecourses at the same point in the machine had to be eradicated completelyin order to establish the horizontal course sequence arising from theplacing of a multiplicity of knitting points around the needle circleand using them in succession throughout the entire stocking. Thisdestruction of established concatenation has been particularly damagingin the make-up and welt of the stocking, as well as in reciprocatoryknitting and in the making of what are called gusset heels and toes. Asa result, my invention concerns not only the rearrangement of all thecams affecting the needles, particularly at or near the knitting wave.but also a number of novel arrangements of cams for handling the sinkersand needles to avoid destructive interaction. I provide the necessarynew interactions principally during the make-up, welt and reciprocatoryknitting. The various changes and the manner in which they coordinate toproduce the result above referred to will be set forth after a briefstatement of the general construction of the machine.

Many basic parts of the machine are unchanged from the above-mentionedScott & Williams model K machine, the needle cylinder 260 rotating orreciprocating inside of the cam ring 21| in which the butts of theneedles N are controlled (see Fig. l). The cam ring and needle cylinderare supported in the bedplate and are driven from the standard drivingparts. As heretofore, the machine is under the general control of apattern chain 85 which, in turn, operates a main pattern drum |20 (Figs.16 and 1'1). On the surface of the main pattern drum are drum cams 50|,502, 503, etc., whose indications are transmitted by means of the usualthrust -bars 46|, 462, etc.. to the region of the bedplate, whence theyare distributed around the needle cylinder 260'and cam ring 21| to causethe necessary changes in manipulations of the knitting elements of themachine. The usual web-holding sinkers S carried on the upper end of theneedle cylinder 260 are controlled in their independent radial movementby their butts which contact cams on the inside of the usual sinker cap300. There are the usual sinker spring bands (Fig. 9). The sinkers havethe usual nebs W1 for holding the fabric down when the needle is risingthrough the stitch. The transfer jacks T are carried in a dial locatedaxially opposite the upper end of the needle cylinder, this dialincluding the necessary cams for actuating the transfer jacks in thenovel manner hereinafter set forth.

In order to obtain the necessary selection of needles for my novelall-multi-feed knitting of a ladys stocking starting from the bareneedles and with the automatic inturned welt, I prefer to employ apattern jack system such as shown in the U. S. Patent to Ivan W. GrotheyNo. 1,678,385, dated July 24, 1928. As can be seen in Fig. l of thedrawings of the present application, this system has pattern jacks 136whose coming into action is initiated from the main pattern drum, thepattern chain, or a trick wheel, as desired. Short or intermediate jacks132 located above the pattern jacks are adapted to transmit selectionsto the needles at appropriate times. Both pattern and short jacks arelocated in the cylinder slots which contain the needles N themselves.The yarns are shown fed to the needles by pairs of pivoted yarn fingersFR, FR, FLI, FU from two throat plates 560, 55|, whose exactconstruction, location and interaction with the other parts arehereinafter set forth. It should be understood that while I will showand describe my invention embodied in a machine having only two feeds,the invention is equally applicable to a machine having a greater numberof feeds or knitting points. Except as specifically limted in the claimsor specification, my description should be so understood.

Knitting cam group The knitting cams in the ordinary revolving needlecylinder independent needle hosiery knitting machine include the stitchand associated cams. They are sometimes described as the cam box, butthey will be referred to in the present specification as the knittingcam group.

Since the knitting wave in the sinkers must bear a trailing relation tothe draw-down points of the stitch cams, it is necessary to oscillatethe sinker cam cap 300. This oscillation is known as the "throw. Inorder that this throw may not be greater than necessary, and for otherreasons, the stitch cams of my multi-feed machine are kept as closetogether as possible and the functions of the cams are somewhat changed.I have found it possible to get my cam group in a space only about 50%greater than the length of the cam group of the Scott 8a Williams modelK single-feed automatic inturned welt machine (see Robert W. ScottPatent 1,282,958, dated October 29, 1918). This increase in length isdue principally to the necessity for having side raise cams adjacent thedouble center knitting cam and to the length of the bottom of the doublecenter stitch cam as described in the paragraphs immediately following.

In my novel machine, I provide a plurality of throat plates equal innumber to the number of feeds. In the machine shown in the drawings. theso-called auxiliary throat plate 560 appears 7 at the left side of thefigures of the drawings while the regular throat plate 55| is at therighthand side. Owing in part to the totally diierent functions of theknitting cams above referred to, the cams bear different relations tothe various knitting waves at different times. By this I mean that thestitch-drawing point of a knitting cam always follows or trails thethroat plate from which it receives yarn. As a result, the knitting of amultiplicity of courses from those same two throat plates in rst therotary direction and then the reciprocatory or reverse directionrequires that the throat plates cooperate with different stitch camsurfaces according to the direction in which the needle cylinder isturning. I therefore provide one more stitchdrawing cam or two moredraw-down or stitchdrawing surfaces than there are throat plates in thetwo-feed mechanism shown. According to my invention there are one-halfas many throat plates as there are stitch-drawing surfaces. I so arrangethe parts of my machine that the leading stitch-drawing cam on eachdirection of movement is adapted to act as a clearing cam when it is theleading stitch cam, but draws stitches when it trails. Specifically, inthe embodiment shown in the drawings the cam box or group has anintermediate or center stitch cam 55 of unique design, and left andright-end stitch cams 360 and 36| associated therewith, one on eitherside. This cam 50 is a double one sloping downwardly toward the centerfrom each side. The two slopes I, 52 are both at about 45 from thehorizontal and each slope constltutes an operating or stitch-drawingface. In t the example to be described the faces happen to be in fixedradial relation to each other though this is not essential to myinvention. These two cam or stitch-drawing surfaces 5|, 52 do not meetat the bottom of the cam but each terminates at a separate point 53 or54. The two points are separated from each other a distance equalapproximately to say the width of seven or eight needles as they aremounted in the needle cylinder. For example. in a G-needle, 3%" cylindermachine, these two points would be approximately 1A of an inch apart. Inthe stitch cam of the ordinary single-feed Scott & Williams model Kmachine, the back face of the cam, i. e., the raising side, is slopedonly about 23 from the horizontal. This gives time for the sinkers to bereinserted after the draw-down point to hold the stitches down bymeansof the nebs of the sinkers before the friction on the risingneedles can force the fabric above the nebs of the sinkers. However, inthe new double stitch cam both those sloping surfaces must be used asstitch-drawing surfaces, so each face is of necessity close to from thehorizontal. Since with the double stitch cam the rising face ofnecessity is close to 45 from the horizontal, it follows that theneedles rise faster than in a single-feed machine, and unhooking of thestitches sometimes occurs. The separation of the two points 53, 54relieves this by giving the sinkers time to come in and hold thestitches down before they get above the nebs. With these separatedpoints the first point met acts as the draw-down point and the secondpoint met acts as the knocking-over point. It will be noted that thesecond point is located after the knitting has left the robbing area,which is normally considered as existing immediately after the drawpoint. The relief on the bottom of the main stitch cam between the twopoints 53 and 54 is a further development of the high-speed, fine-gaugeart. It has been found that in knitting fine gauges at high speed withfine yarns, any infinitesimal increase downwardly between the two pointsmight cause cutting of the yarn. The bottom of the cam has, therefore,been shown relieved between the two points. In order to be sure theneedles do not by any chance fail to take advantage of this relief, ahump 55 has been put on the bottom center cam 56 directly underneath thedouble-pointed stitch cam so that the needles necessarily have to givesome relief to the yarn. It will be noted that the needles, in passingunder the second point after a slight relief, bring the stitches back tothe draw-point level momentarily, tending to make uniform again anyirregularities which may have occurred since the first draw point waspassed. The double stitch cam 50 also has shoulders 51, 5B on each sideabove the stitch-drawing faces 5|, 52 which serve as a check or covercam when the needles are rising. This prevents the needles jumping overthe next stitch cam.

One of the great difficulties in starting the make-up from the bareneedles in fine-gauge, modern machines making ladies hosiery with anautomatic inturned welt arises from the high speed of the machine. Otherdifficulties tied in to this are the necessity for special sinkerpressures at special times on special stitches and the necessity for theutmost simplicity in the movements of the parts which control theneedles and sinkers. I have invented a combination of parts which areconcatenated with the other requirements of the make-up and welt in theSimplest possible way and which actually simplify the knittingmanipulations as compared to the old single-feed make-up. I willdescribe each of these features separately.

Make-u1) cams It is of the greatest importance in high-speed knittingthat the knitting cams be undisturbed throughout the make-up. I havealso found it to be essential that the motions of the cams affecting theneedles be simplified. As one element in this picture, the followingshould be noted with regard to the right-hand feed or throat plate 56|and the left-hand feed or throat plate 560. The make-up and welt areproduced while the machine is turning in a rotary or forward direction,i. e.. counter-clockwise. Thus in Fig. 1 the needles are moving fromright to left, which is in the rotary direction. At this time theright-hand throat plate 56| is feeding yarn in a trailing manner to theneedles at the main double stitch cam 50 while the left-hand throatplate 560 is feeding its yarn in a trailing manner to the left-handstitch cam 380. On forward movements, the right-hand stitch cam 36| actsas a clearing cam and to bring needles to the double stitch cam at twolevels. I so arrange the other parts of the machine that throughout theentire start-up and also the makeup, the machine will knit at theright-hand or first throat plate 56|. Also the transfer jacks will taketheir bights of yarn at this feed. At the left-hand throat plate 56|)all the needles will knit throughout the entire make-up and weltknittingoperation. There is absolutely no movement of the three knitting camsduring the startup or make-up or the making of the welt. This is ofgreat advantage.

It is important that the machine be able to knit

